“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein
The global economy has improved our lives in countless ways. Transporting goods around the world has certainly increased the quality of life for people in the developed world. But access to internationally-made products also comes at a significant cost. Let’s take a look at the cost of shipping.
Container ships burn fossil fuels, and they are among the many modes of transportation pumping CO2 in our atmosphere. This abundance of CO2 is warming the Earth. Climate change – and the extreme weather it creates – is a consequence.
The global shipping industry is a major polluter, emitting over 1 billion tons of carbon each year. International shipping as an entity emits more CO2 than all but 5 countries in the world, following only China, US, India, Russia, and Japan.
We use oil to ship oil
One stunning fact is that approximately 40% of the cargo crossing our oceans on ships is actually fossil fuel! That’s right – nearly half of what is being shipped across our oceans is oil, gas, and coal. Just imagine the domino effect of transitioning to renewable energy. Not only will we need less fossil fuel to power our lives, but we will slash the energy needed to transport this fuel around the world. In other words, if we don’t need it we won’t be shipping it.
While the US is now the leading producer of oil in the world, we still import oil…to the tune of about 8 million gallons per day. Likewise, much of the oil we produce is shipped overseas. This seems nonsensical and extremely inefficient (and it is). It has to do with the type of oil different countries produce, and how it is refined. Suffice to say, it is a complex international dance that requires a lot of shipping.
Cleaning up our shipping
Because of the scope of the shipping industry, if we want to meet the international goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050, things will need to change. Some of the alternatives being researched and debated to fuel cargo ships include:
- Electrification
- Hydrogen fuel cells
- Ammonia
- Liquefied natural gas
What can you do?
Clearly, this is chiefly a systemic problem that will require a large-scale solution. However, consumer demand is a big part of the equation. Everything we buy requires some kind of transportation to reach us. Shopping local reduces the cost of shipping, and is something each of us can do.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.